The Paladin
by Adamantwrites
Summary: Joe goes on his first trip with Hoss and Adam and is true to his ideals of chivalry and honor when trouble looms. Disclaimer: All original characters and plots are the property of their respective owners. All original characters and plots are the property of the author. No copyright infringement is intended.


The Paladin

**Part 1**

"I swear, Joe, I'd rather you'd drowned than that mule," Hoss said. "There went just about all our food and supplies, everything down the river. Pa shoulda never let you come along!"

"Thanks a lot for all the brotherly love," eighteen year old Joe said disgustedly. "And it was as much your fault as mine so don't go blaming me!"

"Okay, you two," Adam said, standing on the shore of the rapidly moving river. "What's done is done. Let's get a fire started and get Hoss dried off before he freezes solid."

"He's got too many layers of fat to freeze." Joe was angry; he was always blamed for everything and it was always because he was the youngest. But Joe was angriest because he knew that he let the lead pull from his grasp—he felt he was to blame.

"Now I've had just about my fill of you, Joe. I'm so dang hungry I just may stick a long tree limb up your ass and run it outta your mouth and cook you on a spit. It'd shut you up and serve me dinner too although I'd get mighty bad indigestion, I'm sure." Hoss picked up a few pieces of wood, the water still dripping off his hair and clothes and sloshing in his boots and he became angry all over again. "Damn you, Joe! I was countin' on that bacon for a good meal and here we got practically nothin' left but them cans of beans that Adam's got in his saddlebags."

"Would you two quit your bickering and gather some wood." Adam was just as frustrated and upset as Hoss but he saw no reason to go over it again and assign blame. The mule was lost and all that it had carried and there was no bringing it back so to his logical mind, they needed to prepare for the long, cold night ahead.

"Now how we gonna get to Montana without them supplies? Eat squirrel stew the rest of the way? We ain't even got onions, salt, not anything to make it taste halfway decent." Hoss complained and he was beginning to shiver from the cold.

"We aren't going to Montana," Adam said as he gathered kindling from the ground. "One thing to be thankful for-at least it hasn't rained recently." The debris of leaves and sticks was dry and Adam was glad that the fire would start quickly. "We're going to turn around and head home. I'm not pushing on with practically everything gone and tonight we're having the rest of that jerky and beans."

"You wanna bet?" Joe said.

Adam swung around to see Joe staring at Hoss who had a guilty look.

Adam sighed and his shoulders drooped. "You ate the jerky, didn't you?" Adam asked Hoss.

"Well, I was hungry and how's I supposed to know that Joe would let that mule drown?"

"I didn't LET it drown." Joe jumped to his own defense.

"For the love of God!" Adam said. "Just shut up—both of you. I oughta just leave the two of you to beat the holy hell out of each other and head off alone."

"Well, why don't you just do that, oldest brother?" Joe said. "We don't need you anyhow. You're always treating us as if we're imbeciles and can't get along without you."

Hoss stood glowering. After what Joe had just said, Hoss didn't know at whom he was more angry. Adam did treat them as if they knew nothing, always lording his intelligence, experience and age over them..

"That's because you two ARE imbeciles and you can't get along without me. After all, who lassoed Hoss from the drink back there? I did and I have a sore shoulder to show for it. Who told you not to cross at that spot but you just had to and lost the mule? I did. Without the two of you dragging me down, I'd be in Montana by now so just quit arguing, both of you and get some wood. At least I'm carrying dry matches."

Hoss bent down to gather more wood and mumbled to himself. "Always thinks he's in charge. Always tellin' everybody else what to do."

Adam stood up and faced Hoss. Joe then realized that he and Hoss had gone too far in provoking Adam. "I tell you what then, you make all the decisions, Hoss. The hell with you both." And Adam threw down the kindling he had gathered and went to tend his horse.

All three horses were wet up to their bellies where they had struggled to navigate the rough river. The three brothers had ridden upstream looking for the best place to cross. It was spring and the glaciers on the mountains were melting and feeding the rivers and filling the lakes and although the weather was warmer than it had been, the water was like ice. But they had needed to cross it to continue on the trip.

After riding for a while alongside the river, Adam had finally decided on a place to cross. It wasn't too deep but it did have boulders breaking up the current and making cross streams that conflicted with each other's force; it would make the crossing risky but it seemed the best spot because it wasn't as deep as they earlier spots had been and Adam didn't think, from what they had seen so far, that there would be another one better. Adam told Hoss and Joe to follow his lead and to take it slow and to follow his exact path and not to move too far to the right. Joe was behind Hoss and he led the pack mule.

The crossing was going well and Adam's horse had just stepped onto the opposite shore with Hoss close behind when they heard a splash and the mule's odd whinny of distress. It had slipped and was rolling in the water, desperately trying to get its footing but was being pulled away by the current. Joe was trying to hold onto the mule's lead but it threatened to pull him from the saddle.

"Dang it, Joe," Hoss yelled and dived from his horse to help the mule which was flailing to stand upright but the lead was pulled from Joe's grasp and the mule went tumbling and rolling down the river before Hoss was able to get to it. And now they had lost almost all of their supplies and were going to have to return to the Ponderosa, having failed to reach the ranch in Montana where a prize bull was waiting to be purchased.

"Adam," Hoss said. "I'm sorry that I done lost my temper." He continued to gather firewood.

"I know," Adam said. "Let's hurry up and get that fire started and then take care of these horses."

The brothers soon had a fire built and the horses tethered so they could still crop nearby grass. Hoss sat wrapped in his bedroll blankets while his clothes dried. The brothers had also taken off their boots and socks to dry and had their feet near the fire. Adam had heated up the beans and they each ate a can as the sun began to drop in the west. Adam huddled up in his suede trail jacket and Joe in his, their shoulders hunched, their collars turned up and their hats pulled down to keep their necks and ears as warm as they could; Hoss' jacket still wasn't dry and probably wouldn't be until morning.

"I'm sorry, Joe, for what I said 'bout the mule. I guess it weren't your fault it lost its footing," Hoss said as he sipped hot coffee. Thankfully, Joe had a small sack of it in his saddlebags.

"That's okay, Hoss. I guess if it was anyone's fault, it's Adam's." Joe winked at Hoss.

"My fault? And how the hell's it my fault?" Adam looked at his brothers who sat with grins on their faces. "You know, now that I consider it, it is my fault. I should have got shed of you two long ago. But I guess you're just my burden to bear, the thorns in my sides and the pains in my ass."

"Could be worse," Hoss said. "There could be four of us."

And then they laughed as Adam shook his head. "I couldn't take another brother. It'd be the end of me for sure." And the men finished their beans and after gathering more wood, went to bed down for the night.

Hoss put on his damp clothes, stating that he hoped he didn't catch pneumonia. Then he put his bedding next to Joe who lay between his older brothers.

"Hoss, all I ask," Joe said, "is that you point your ass away from me. You did eat a whole can of beans for supper."

Adam chuckled at Joe's comment as he made himself as comfortable as he could with a saddle for a pillow and the hard ground for a mattress. He considered that he was getting too old for this and knew in the morning that it would take a while to work out the soreness in his shoulders and the stiffness in his back. How his father still did it, Adam didn't know but he did notice that their father was slowing down—and he had earned it. So Adam had stepped up and taken over many of his father's duties running the ranch. And this was one of them, herding his two brothers on the now aborted trip to Montana.

**Part 2**

The Cartwright brothers followed the river downstream looking for any of their supplies that may have come loose or for the mule's carcass snagged on some boulders or pieces of wood in the river but they found nothing. They had also kept an eye out for game but Joe had remarked that it seemed that the whole world was devoid of any other living thing except annoying flies and the hawks gliding above.

"See," Joe said, "even the hawks can't find anything to eat. They just keep looking but none of them swoop down to grab anything."

"Dang, Adam" Hoss said, "it's almost dark and we haven't eaten since last night. We need to start lookin' for food. I'm so hungry that I'm imaginin' things- I swear I smell bacon fryin'."

Joe sniffed the air. "Hey, I think I smell it too."

"It's comin' from over that direction," Hoss said, indicating to the north of them. "When the wind shifts this way, I can smell it. And coffee-I smell coffee."

"Hey," Adam added, "I smell it too. Let's go take advantage of some mountain hospitality and see if they'll share with three strangers."

Adam had had dealings with mountain men before. He knew they were a closed bunch and shunned outsiders but he also knew that they would help out anyone in need; they had known what it was like to be hungry and cold. Years ago, he had become lost in the mountains, having lost his sense of direction. He was traveling alone to Ohio and a group of mountain men had literally saved his life. They fed him and gave him directions to find his way through the wilderness. They wouldn't accept any of the money Adam offered them, just wished him well as he went on his way. But Adam knew, had he given them any reason, they would just as easily have slit his throat.

Adam warned Hoss and Joe to dismount and enter the camp slowly. Mountain men, Adam told them, were always wary of outsiders. There were competing trappers who tried to steal their skins and hides and so they didn't take well to strangers coming into their camps.

Adam entered the camp first with Hoss and Joe following him, holding their horses' reins. As soon as they were detected, four men each grabbed up a rifle and held it on them. They were rough looking men, wearing buckskin and furs. There were also three Indian women, one in her thirties and the other two were younger; one looked no more than seventeen and they were sitting, waiting.

"We smelled your food and were hoping you'd have enough to share with us; we lost all our provisions a while back and well, we're hungry and that coffee sure smells good." Adam smiled his most guileless smile and Hoss and Joe waited. Joe looked around at the camp and noticed an empty sack that looked like one that had been on their lost mule. He also saw what he would have sworn were their lost blankets, drying over a tree branch.

"Who you be?" the oldest man asked, never lowering his rifle. He had a slight French accent.

"I'm Adam…Monroe. These are my brothers, Eric and Joe." Adam motioned with his head at his two brothers. He felt that it would be better to keep their true identity secret just in case these trappers weren't on the up and up and decided to make quick money by holding them for ransom if they were familiar with the Ponderosa and had heard of the wealthy Cartwrights.

"You bear no likeness to each other." LaPierre looked at them suspiciously. He noticed the one speaking was tall and dark. Them there was the big one who was even taller and then the smaller one with the critical gaze as he looked around the camp; he was almost too pretty to be a man.

"Well, my pa said our ma had a wandering eye…and her body often followed, but he claimed us all." Adam said with a smile.

The man chuckled and the other three smiled and they relaxed a bit. "Well, sit yourself down; we have enough. My name is LaPierre and this be my camp and these are my men, Bodie, Tanner and Ross —and my women." The LaPierre lowered his gun and then the other three did and Adam, Joe and Hoss walked into the camp and tied up their horses, each Cartwright expressing their gratitude although Joe seemed less thankful than Hoss and Adam. Joe didn't like the men or the camp; the men look cruel as they watched him and his brothers, he felt, as if the three of them were prey just waiting to be pounced on—waiting until the time was right.

"Nagota," the man called to the oldest Indian woman. Then he gave her instructions in an Indian dialect that Adam didn't understand and soon plates of bacon and biscuits were given to Adam, Joe and Hoss by the woman. The other two watched in silence as they sat on their heels.

"What tribe?' Adam asked LaPierre, indicating Nagota with a motion of his head. He split open a biscuit and placed two pieces of thick sliced bacon in the middle making a sandwich. The salty taste of the bacon and the crustiness of the biscuit was what he needed.

"Chinook. I traded for her a few years ago; she's my squaw. The other two are Takilma. I bought them from the chief of a Latgawas tribe in Oregon territory. The young one—I hope to sell her in the next town although she serves as well but needs to be broke in; she still do not like to be dragged into the woods for a toss." LaPierre laughed and Adam smiled just to seem amiable; he wanted to eat and be gone and if a little hypocrisy kept them safe, then it was what was required. The other three men had sat back down to eat but they watched Adam and Joe and Hoss with their rifles beside them.

Hoss was busy eating and smiled whenever Nagota piled more bacon and biscuits on his plate. But Joe, despite being hungry, sat with a disapproving look on his face.

"So they're slaves," Joe said to LaPierre. He had noticed the youngest Indian girl who he heard one of the men call Satwah. She would glance at him with large dark eyes and then drop her gaze and Joe interpreted it as a plea for help.

"No," LaPierre said, "they're my property. I own them the same as I own that food that you and your brothers are eating. But I don't begrudge helping a hungry man."

"People aren't chattel." Joe was determined to point out how immoral it was to own the women. "You can't buy and sell people."

LaPierre didn't respond; he merely looked at Joe as if appraising him to judge if Joe was a threat. Adam intervened. "Joe, I think that what happens in his camp is LaPierre's business and none of ours. Besides, women are still seen as their husband's property in many societies. Accept the hospitality offered and only open your mouth to eat." Hoss had stopped to watch, expecting Joe, as usual, to get his back up and argue with Adam but for some reason, Joe kept quiet. Hoss then continued eating and Joe, after looking darkly at Adam, said nothing more and went back to eating. But he continued to watch the young squaw as she went about the camp.

"Ma'am," Hoss said to Nagota, "you mind iffen I dip these two biscuits in that bacon grease there?"

Nagota smiled and holding the handle of the frying pan with a cloth, brought it over and poured some savory grease over the biscuits on Hoss' tin plate. Hoss thanked her and continued to eat. Adam shook his head at Hoss' prolific appetite.

"Nagota speaks English?" Adam asked LaPierre.

"Speaks? No. None of them speak it but they understand it—or seem to. Besides, their not speaking is what makes for a good squaw, for a good woman. Cook, lay on their back when needed and remain silent."

Adam smiled. "I can understand that." Adam glanced quickly around the camp while LaPierre took out a pouch and tucked some tobacco between his gum and lower lip. He offered the pouch to Adam. "No thank you," Adam said. "Never could pick up the habit." LaPierre nodded and put the pouch back inside his shirt.

Joe watched as one of the men called Bodie grabbed Satwah and pulled her onto his lap. She struggled as he tried to kiss her and ran his hands over her. She fought him but he only laughed and the other three trappers glanced at the man and woman and chuckled. Then Bodie stood up and looking straight at Joe, dragged the resisting Satwah into the surrounding woods where she could be heard protesting.

"He'll be through with her in no time. She needs to learn obedience," LaPierre said. "Only then will she get a good price. A good, obedient squaw sells for much—very much and I prefer this way over beating her."

Joe couldn't remain quiet. "You think one way is better than the other? You're no more than those animals you trap and skin!"

Adam turned to Joe. "Settle down, boy. Finish eating."

Joe stood up and LaPierre and put his hand on his rifle as Joe continued. "Where did you get that sack and those blankets? And how about that fry pan?"

"Joe…" Hoss backed up Adam, "you need to settle down. Stop bein' such a hothead." Hoss wanted to keep Joe from pulling his gun and maybe getting them all killed but Hoss had noticed that some of the things in the trappers' camp were what had been strapped onto their mule and Hoss knew that if he recognized them, Adam did as well.

"Now it just so happens," LaPierre said, "that we found a drowned, bloated mule in the river nigh a way from here and he had these supplies strapped on him. We took them. The mule didn't mind."

LaPierre stood up, holding his rifle beside him. The other two trappers, Ross and Tanner, also stood and held their rifles. "Well," LaPierre said slowly and indulgently, "they're ours. Those are our women, our supplies and we're eating our own food and so are you."

Joe balled his hands into fists; he was ready to take on LaPierre, take on any of them. "You're a brute and a thief!"

Adam slowly stood and placed his hand on Joe's shoulder. Joe jerked his arm away; he wasn't to be so easily placated. "Excuse my younger brother. He doesn't understand that the supplies may have been ours but now they're yours." Adam was careful not to make any sudden movements. "I thank you for the food and the fire but I think it's time we leave."

LaPierre nodded and Tanner and Ross sat back down on a fallen tree that served as a bench, laying their rifles across their laps. Hoss stood as well and handed his plate to Nagota, thanking her. Then he walked to Joe and grabbed Joe by the front of his jacket. "Let's go, Shortshanks." Joe grabbed Hoss' hand as he held Joe's jacket in his fist, but Hoss furrowed his brow and Joe relaxed his stance. He knew Hoss was serious. Hoss released him and started walking toward their horses.

LaPierre wished them the best and the three brothers mounted their horses and Adam nodded to the men at the camp as they rode away. But Adam couldn't get enough distance between them and LaPiere's camp fast enough and hoped he wouldn't feel a bullet hit his back.

**Part 3**

When they were a few yards away, Joe began.

"What's wrong with you, Adam? You saw how they were treating those Indian women and they also had our stuff but you just tucked tail and scurried off like a beat dog."

Adam only said, "You don't know what you're talking about? It's the way of the world and in every mountain man's camp, it's the same thing—and I've seen worse. I've seen Indians treat their women worse and I've seen white men practically beat the life out of their wives. Didn't you hear who he bought those two young squaws from? Another Indian tribe, the Latgawas. Indians make captured squaws their own slaves or sell and trade them to other Indian tribes and mountain men."

"The only thing I know is that you're a coward—you and Hoss both." Joe was seething with anger. All he could think about was Satwah being pulled off into the woods and taken by the mountain man. He would have gone after that man Bodie and saved the young Indian woman from him if Adam hadn't stopped him. But both Adam and Hoss had done nothing.

"Shut up, Joe," Hoss said. "Adam's right—you don't know what you're talkin' about. There's four of them and three of us and how'd you think you were gonna get away with savin' that Indian girl and not get a knife in your belly or a bullet between the eyes. Those are rough men and they have their own ways—just be glad you got your belly filled instead of slit open."

"But they stole our things too! How can you two not do something about it?" Joe said. He began to wish he had never convinced his father to allow him to go with his brothers to Montana.

Ben Cartwright had decided that it would take both Adam and Hoss to escort the huge bull from Montana to their ranch. It was a long trip and handling a nasty-tempered bull would require delicacy and cleverness and Hoss, with his rapport with animals and Adam with his cunning would be able to pull it off. Joe would stay home at the ranch and start spring roundup and branding.

"Pa," Joe had said in a sulky tone, "why can't I go along. I haven't been any further than San Francisco and you had me under harness the whole time." He pushed his food around on his plate. His brothers were leaving tomorrow and he wanted to go with them.

"And that trip was nothing but trouble. Besides, I need at least one of you here,"

"Then keep Adam and let me go instead."

Adam and Ben exchanged looks. "Fine with me, Pa," Adam said. "I'd rather sleep in my nice, warm bed and eat Hop Sing's cooking than sleep on the cold ground and eat salt pork and beans for days on end. Besides, traveling with Hoss to Montana and bringing back a bull, well, there's that animal stink of manure—and then there's the bull's smell and its droppings."

"Very funny, Adam," Hoss said and Joe had to giggle. "Ain't you just the cleverest?" Adam smiled as he sipped his coffee.

"C'mon, Pa," Joe said, almost whining, "Let me go along. I never get to go on trips like this."

Ben sighed deeply. He didn't want all three sons to leave. Although Ben knew he could run the ranch alone if he had to and he had some loyal and reliable hands who could take over the sons' duties, he tended to worry too much about Joe as young as and inexperienced he was and knew he wouldn't have peace of mind until they were all three home.

"All right, Joe," Ben said, "but you listen to Adam and Hoss; they have more experience."

"Thanks, Pa," Joe said grinning and began to shovel the food in his mouth. He hadn't noticed that Hoss and Adam had stopped eating and were looking at one another; neither was pleased that Joe was going along. They both knew that their hot-tempered, mercurial little brother would require as much reining in as their horses did.

"Maybe we can put a ring through his nose and lead Joe that way," Adam said to Hoss.

"Yeah, and clip him too in case there's some pretty fillies we meet along the way." Hoss furrowed his brow; he knew how Joe could be around women having saved Joe from many a fight for intruding on a another man's "property," but Adam suppressed a smile.

"Say all you want, you two," Joe said, "but I'm going along and you'll eat your words-I'll prove myself."

"Them words won't fill my belly," Hoss said. "Pa, make sure Hop Sing packs up that mule with lots of food. It's a long trip and I don't wanna eat roots and acorns. There ain't even any mesquite beans that way."

"Thank God," Adam said as he placed his napkin back on the table. "I'm going to see about my horse—check him over before tomorrow." And he left the table.

But Joe was thrilled; he was going on an adventure and he'd prove himself to his older brothers. They would all have more respect for him after this.

"Joe," Adam said calmly, "they were our supplies but now they are theirs. Just stop thinking about it and let it go. We'll manage."

"But we should have demanded they return our things, our supplies. It's not right!"

"You tell me, little brother," Hoss said, "just how were we to go about it? Tell 'im all in the camp that it ain't fair, throw a tantrum, say we're gonna tell our daddy?"

"No, but we should have done something. And about those Indian girls…they're slaves, Adam, and you know it. I've heard your opinion on slaves more times that I care to but those Indians being shoved around and made to cook and serve those stinkin' mountain men is outrageous and yet you did nothing. All talk, aren't you, Adam."

Adam remained silent. He knew what it must look like to Joe who wasn't old enough or been through enough to lose his idealism and realize that the world was indifferent to the suffering of the puny inhabitants of the globe. Adam had read some of the early philosophers and therefore, had a touch of pessimism in his beliefs and he knew that sometimes, one has to accept a situation and move on; some scenarios were unwinnable and that was one of them.

The three rode along in silence until Adam pulled up his horse.

"What do you think, Hoss, about this spot for a campsite."

Hoss looked around. "I think it'll serve. Those rocks there behind us'll keep us safe and we can build the fire here. I can even hear water."

"Yeah," Adam said, "I can smell it." He dismounted. "Let's build camp here. Only three more days 'til we're home. Three long days."

Hoss and Joe dismounted as well and started to make camp, collecting firewood and removing any stones or branches where they planned to lay their bedrolls.

"Hey, Adam" Joe said, "what do you mean, you can smell it? Water doesn't smell." He glanced at Hoss who had stopped to listen to the conversation. "Well, some water smells considering its source."

"Be careful, little brother. I may accidentally get some spray on you next time I go." Hoss went back to unsaddling the horses. He was going to rub them down with handfuls of leaves and the horses were nuzzling him and gently pushing against him to prompt him to work faster. "Now, just settle down. I'll get to all three of you, I promise."

"It's not the water you smell so much but the wet soil and the decay of leaves nearby. And you can almost feel the dampness. Just stop a minute and close your eyes and let your nose tell you if there's water nearby." Adam stood and watched as Joe closed his eyes. "Well?"

"I can kinda hear the water and maybe I smell it a little but I can't really say."

"It'll come to you in time," Adam said. "Now let's get camp made."

**Part 4**

Adam rolled over to shove Hoss and tell him he was snoring and then he noticed that Joe was gone. Instead of sleeping between his two brothers as he usually did since it was the warmest place as they lay on the ground, Joe had taken up an end position that night and now he was gone; he had snuck away.

Adam shoved Hoss and he woke up startled, ready for trouble. "What? What is it?" He had pulled his pistol that he had placed near him. His rifle was lying on the ground beside him as Adam's was beside him.

"Joe's gone."

"The hell you say?' Hoss looked around the camp and there was no sign of Joe except that his bedroll was still on the ground. "Maybe he went to take a piss," Hoss offered.

"No, he went to take something else. Cochise is gone too."

"Dadburn…damn it all to hell! We never shoulda brought him along—shoulda left him hogtied in the barn. You thinkin'what I am, that he went to the trappers' camp to get our things back?"

"I hope that's all he went for but it's still not good news. Let's saddle up. It's almost light—think you can track him?"

"Oh, yeah—he might as well leave bread crumbs like them Hansel and Gretel kids, he's so obvious. Damn, I'm hungry," Hoss said. "If he's stealing our supplies back, hope Joe's got our food. Maybe he went huntin' instead?" Adam just looked at Hoss. "Well, it was just a thought."

They were saddling up their horses and tying on their bedrolls, Joe's thrown over Adam's shoulder, when they heard a horse approach. It was probably Joe but neither Adam nor Hoss could take a chance so they pulled their guns and stepped back into the trees. But it was Joe—Joe with the Indian girl, Satwah, sitting behind him, holding onto his waist, her legs straddling the horse's haunches. Cochise didn't look pleased at the double load on his back and kept tossing his head in protest.

Adam disgustedly holstered his gun as he stepped out of the trees.

"I was afraid of this," Adam said. "You just had to go rescue her, didn't you?"

"She was in trouble," Joe said as he helped Satwah down. She was a small woman and not very pretty but she had large, dark, sad eyes and Joe was a pushover for any female as it was-give him one in trouble and he practically couldn't help himself.

"You bring back any of our supplies?' Hoss asked.

"I was lucky to get away with her," Joe said.

"You shoulda got the supplies first and then her." And Hoss considered that now they had another person to feed.

Adam crossed his arms and braced himself for an argument with Joe. "You haven't, you know."

"Haven't what?" Joe asked.

"Gotten away with her. Don't you think they'll notice she's gone? Don't you think they'll come looking for her?"

"They'll just think she ran away, that's all."

"Oh, really," Adam said, "is that what you think? Well, they'll know better than that because, little brother, as good a tracker as Hoss is, those trappers are ten times better. They make their living tracking and trapping animals and they will sniff you out in no time. You've just brought a whole world on trouble down on us."

Joe darkened. "Well, I couldn't just leave her there."

"Why not?" Adam asked. "She isn't yours to take; she belongs to LaPierre. He paid for her and he won't take kindly to losing his property. And what do you intend to do with her? Marry her?"

Joe knew that Adam wasn't serious but pointing out how foolish he had been. "No, I plan to return her to her tribe."

"Her tribe is in Oregon and if you return her to them, she'll probably be captured again by the Latgawas in one of their raids and sold again—or worse."

"Worse?"

"Yeah, worse. What if they shun her since she's been with white men? What if her family is dead and no brave wants her? What if they expel her from the tribe, that is even if you manage to find her tribe and they haven't been slaughtered."

"Well," Joe thought quickly, "I'll ask Pa what to do. He'll know."

"That's just dandy," Hoss said. "Pa'll be so happy you brought home an Indian squaw that he'll piss himself with excitement."

"She needed help. You saw what those men did to her, dragging her off into the woods and forcing themselves on her—they raped her. I can't just do nothing?" Joe didn't understand Adam and Hoss' reactions. Hoss stood with his hands on his hips, a look of worry on his face and shook his head in disgust. And then Adam who always took the moral high ground, no matter what, who would argue a controversial point for hours, behaved as if what he had done was wrong. Joe had been certain they would both support him, that they would clap him on the back and laud his bravery but they didn't and he was confused.

"Joe, get it through your head, you're not some knight in shining armor, a paladin who goes about the countryside righting wrongs, slaying dragons and saving damsels in distress. LaPierre and his men are going to come after us and take her back and if they don't kill us—and I hope to God we escape with our lives-this squaw goes right back to being enjoyed by whatever man in the camp wants her and will probably get a good thrashing with a bullwhip to emphasize that she shouldn't even think about running away again. There are just some things in this world, no matter how ugly they are, that a man has to accept. Trust me, I found out the hard way a long time ago."

"And I guess you feel the same way, Hoss," Joe said, glaring at him. Satwah stood behind Joe, not completely understanding the words but knowing very well what was passing between the three men and she knew that she was the subject.

"I sure as hell do. What you done, Joe, is just stupid. Now I think we need to saddle up and leave as few tracks behind us as possible. What you think, Adam? Think that some leafy branches dragged behind us would throw them trappers off our trail? It's an old trick and sometimes works." Hoss looked around at the ground. He knew that trackers looked for small subtle signs like disturbed leaves or snapped branches if there was nothing more obvious such as clear footprints or hoof prints.

"No, I don't think so. If the river wasn't so rough, I'd suggest that we travel just inside the shore but we can't take a chance on the horses slipping. I say we just hightail it out of here."

"Well, with Joe riding double…"

"Don't talk about me like I'm not here. If Chubb can carry Hoss, Cooch can carry me and Satwah. Let's go."

Adam and Hoss exchanged glances. They were both frustrated with their youngest brother but there was nothing to be done now. Despite how he felt, Adam couldn't suggest that they leave Satwah to find her own way on the trail. So the three brothers saddled up and rode out of camp, Satwah riding again behind Joe.

"Keep your eyes open and your rifle ready for game," Hoss said.

"And for LaPierre and his men," Adam added, kicking his horse to break into a faster gait. He couldn't get home soon enough; the hair on the back of his neck felt as if it were standing up like porcupine quills and a chill ram down his spine. "Just your imagination, boy," he told himself but he couldn't convince himself.

**Part 5**

That night, they camped near a creek. Earlier in the day, Hoss had shot a rabbit, a good-sized one, and Satwah deftly skinned it and cleaned it using Joe's knife while he built a spit so they could roast it.

"She's pretty damn good with that knife, ain't she?' Hoss quietly said to Adam as they sat against a tree watching her.

"Yeah—too good-makes me worry about my throat." Adam was looking forward to the roast rabbit but he was still uncomfortable about stopping, every sound made him look around and he had already loosened his pistol from the holster. His rifle was propped up beside him.

Adam had wanted to ride through the night but Joe protested. Cochise was tired and so was he. Hoss, who had brought up the rear of the group, was willing to forgo eating until morning, also didn't want to stop. All day he kept looking behind them and listening for any sounds to indicate they were being followed and whenever they reached an open area, he scanned the vista to see if there was any dust being stirred up or if there were distant riders.

Joe snapped a branch and both Hoss and Adam jumped at the noise, Adam's hand going to his holster.

"Just breaking down some wood for the fire—relax. You two are as nervous as a virgin on her wedding night," Joe said with a smile as he walked past them. He shook his head, laughing. In his opinion, Adam and Hoss worried too much. Joe was sure that they were safe and in the clear. He had been thinking of Satwah, of what was to become of her and he was puzzled about that. But the main thing he was worried about was what his father would say when they showed up with a young Indian woman.

Initially, Joe was sure that his father would have renewed confidence in him, was certain that his father would put his arm around his shoulders and give him a squeeze that meant that he was proud of his son. But now, after how Adam and Hoss had reacted, Joe wasn't so sure.

And then he wondered what Satwah thought. If she spoke English or understood any part of it, she hadn't let on. Joe remembered what LaPierre had said, that the women didn't speak English but seemed to understand it. If that was true as far as Satwah, then he had made his meaning clear to her, that he just wanted to free her from LaPierre, not use her himself. And he didn't want to use her, actually found that he had no desire for her.

Satwah wasn't what Joe considered pretty. Her face was round and flat and she smelled unpleasant as she rode behind him. He was certain that she hadn't bathed in weeks—maybe months and the bear fat she used on her skin smelled rancid. Nevertheless, he had saved her and Joe was proud of himself—he had been brave and daring and managed to spirit her away.

When the rabbit was dripping fat into the fire, the succulent odors wafted in the air and Hoss began to salivate but he knew that there were now four of them and the rabbit weighed maybe three pounds skinned and gutted. So when it was done, Adam pulled out his knife and sliced it down the middle and then divided the two sections in half. Hoss and Adam took the larger hind sections and Joe and Satwah received the front quarters and they ate without speaking.

Everyone finished but Hoss. He gnawed on the cartilage and was determined to eat every bit of flesh off the bones.

"That was a good rabbit, even without any salt," Hoss said. "Hope I get two tomorrow—one for me and another one for you three."

After they ate, Adam wanted to push on but Joe said that he needed a night's sleep and he was sure that Satwah did as well. After all, he and she had ridden a good part of the night.

"Well, whose fault is that, Galahad?" Adam asked. Hoss had gone to fill up the canteens since Adam had practically emptied one of its water by washing grease off his hands and chin.

"Give us just a few hours, Adam. Then we can go on."

Hoss walked back into their camp. "You all ready to go?" Hoss handed two of the canteens to Adam and one to Joe while keeping one for himself.

"Joe wants to catch a few hours sleep," Adam said. "What do you think?"

Hoss looked around. They had a boulder behind their backs and the horses were tied in a strand of trees and behind that was open ground and then the edge of a wood. If LaPierre and his men were following them, there was still no sign.

"I don't know, Adam," Hoss said. "Maybe LaPierre just decided she ain't worth the trouble to find."

Adam pulled his earlobe as he often did when he had unpleasant choices to make.

A few years ago, Hop Sing had said that such an action was a sign of deep thought. According to him and Chinese beliefs, the lobe of the ear represents the head and a man who massages and pulls on his lobe is a deep thinker, a scholar.

Hoss, who had quietly listened, said, "So iffen I want to get smarter, all I gotta do is rub my earlobes?"

"No," Hop Sing had said, "work other way. Earlobe not make man smart—smart man rub earlobe."

"Give it up, Buddha belly," Adam had said and Ben and Joe had laughed.

Once on a trip to Chinatown when they were young boys, Adam had asked about the statue of a sitting, smiling Buddha carved in jade. He held a string of beads in one hand and a lotus in the other and his garment was open revealing a large belly. "Lucky Buddha bring money, good luck," Hop Sing had explained. "Merchant rub belly and many customers come. Spend money."

"Can I rub his belly?" eight year old Hoss had asked.

"Just rub your own," Adam had said, smirking. But Hop Sing had said that, of course, Hoss could. So Hoss had rubbed the belly of the statue and closed his eyes as if he was making a wish and then smiled up at Hop Sing who returned the smile.

"Hoss have good luck now." Then they turned to go but before they completely left the stall, Adam quickly rubbed the statue's belly. After all, he rationalized, what could it hurt?

So Adam now pondered whether or not they should catch some sleep or move on. "Okay—just a few hours. Hoss you catch a few hours as well—I'll keep watch."

"Nah, Adam," Hoss said, "you sleep. I'll keep watch. I feel mighty edgy and don't think I'll sleep none anyway."

"Okay," Adam said. And he and Joe made up their bedrolls while Hoss let Satwah sleep on his. Initially he didn't want to. After all, she did smell bad but Joe had said that she didn't smell any worse than Hoss did. So Hoss pulled his jacket tighter around him and sat up against the boulder but after about an hour, he fell asleep—a light sleep where he sprang awake at an owl's hoot, but then he would nod off again, his head drooping while he held his rifle like a cherished lover.

**Part 6**

Adam threw his blanket aside, grabbed his pistol and jumped to his feet, looking around the camp. His heart was pounding. Hoss stood with his rifle up but not knowing where to point it. They had both heard a cry—a man's cry—and it had woken them. They saw nothing as both men walked slowly around, one facing one direction and the other the opposite, circling the camp and looking for intruders. It wasn't quite light yet but the sun was peeking over the eastern mountain range. Then Joe came stumbling into camp, his hand clasping his side and the blood flowing between his fingers.

"Joe," Hoss called and went to his brother and scooped him up and then gently lay him on his bedroll.

Adam kneeled beside Joe and pulled open Joe's jacket even further and unbuttoned his shirt; he had been stabbed.

"Oh, hell, Joe. She got you," Hoss said.

"Yeah," Joe said through his pain. "Satwah was trying to steal Cooch—I heard her and when I went to explain to her that she was safe with us, well, she stabbed me. Sorry, Hoss, but Chubb ran—I fell against him, guess I scared him and he took off dragging the tree branch with him. Sorry."

"Let me guess," Adam said, "you never took back the skinning knife."

Joe chuckled, trying to put on a brave face despite the burning pain. "You're right. I forgot to get it from her. I didn't think she'd stab me. I mean I'm the good guy here, aren't I? I was trying to save her from a fate worse than death, right?"

"Some people don't want what you might have to offer, Joe."

"Aren't you going to say it, Adam?"

"Say what?"

"That you told me so."

"I don't think I have to. Lesson learned." Adam turned to Hoss who was leaning over them, watching. "Hoss, help me get this jacket off him. I need to try to stop that bleeding. It's about two inches deep and I doubt she cleaned that knife after skinning and gutting that rabbit." Hoss kneeled and held Joe up while Adam pulled the clothes off Joe.

"She tried to gut me," Joe said, "but she didn't get a chance to skin me yet." Joe smiled and tried to make a joke. He wanted to apologize to Adam and Hoss for bringing trouble on them but didn't know how.

"Don't worry 'bout that, little brother—soon's you feel good enough, I'm gonna skin you and stretch your blasted hide on the side of the barn to cure. Well," Hoss said, helping lay Joe back down, "how's it look to you, Adam?"

Adam crouched and looked worried. "It's not that deep a thrust and she missed anything important but that knife, it wasn't clean, I'm sure. The wound might become septic. We need to head for the nearest town and get some sulfa powder but in the meantime, I'm going to let it bleed a bit—flush out as much bacteria as possible."

"What you mean by septic?" Hoss asked.

"Become infected. The knife probably had bacteria—germs—the stuff that causes gangrene and such, on it from the dried blood and from the rabbit. It might get infected—probably will get infected. It isn't the wound that's the problem, it's the bacteria introduced." Joe looked up at Adam and by the look on Adam's face, Joe realized how seriously Adam was taking the matter. "And we don't even have any whiskey to clean it. Well, I'll do my best."

Adam used water from the canteen to wash the skin around Joe's wound and then lightly placed his bandana over it to keep the flies from landing on it. They had been buzzing around trying to get onto the blood and before that, they had been on the horse droppings. Adam was frustrated. He wanted to curse at Joe, to rip him up verbally but didn't. But now he had a wound and the Indian, although she hadn't succeeded in stealing Cochise, had run off. And Chubby was gone.

"Adam," Hoss said, "I'm goin' off to look for Chubb. He might be a few yards away or further—I don't know. Iffen I'm not back when you and Joe feel it's time to leave, go on and I'll catch up with you, okay?" Hoss grabbed up Chubb's saddle and swung it over his shoulder, holding it by the saddle horn. He tossed the saddle blanket over his other shoulder.

Adam looked around nervously. "I think we should leave as soon as I can wrap up Joe's side but I don't know about you traveling alone. What if that Indian girl found Chubb?"

"Now, Adam, why you gotta say that? Why you always thinkin' about the worst thing that can happen?"

"Because then you're always prepared for it and if that horse can't be found, you'll be out here on foot and all alone. I don't think we should leave you."

"Don't you worry none about me," Hoss said, giving Adam's shoulder a gentle squeeze. "Just get Prince Charmin' there home. I'll find you two."

And Hoss took off into the surrounding wooded area since there was no sign of the horse in the open. But his mind was troubled. "Gettin' just like Adam—always worryin' 'bout things that ain't yet happened." And Hoss trudged further away from their camp and his two brothers.

Finally, after walking for about an hour, following what looked to be Chubb's hoof prints, Hoss saw the horse in a distant open field placidly cropping the long grass. As Hoss approached, Chubb looked up at him almost to ask what had taken Hoss so long and then went back to eating. When Hoss reached the horse, he dropped the saddle which had become heavier with each step he took.

"Dang you, Chubb. So you just had to find the greenest grass around didn't you? Well, at least one of us has a full belly. Iffen I don't find some food soon, I may be out here on all fours pullin' up that grass as well." Hoss began to saddle the horse and looked up at the sky. By his judgment, it was about ten in the morning, give or take a quarter of an hour. And since he had tracked Chubb in the opposite direction they had been traveling, he had quite a distance to make up and then some to catch up with Joe and Adam if they had left camp. And he was worried about Joe, and about the trappers and about the lack of supplies. But despite that, Hoss continued to saddle up the horse and then, once all was set and he had double-checked the cinch, he mounted and headed back to the camp. But when he arrived, Joe and Adam were gone as expected but the bedrolls were still there and there were many tracks left in the area, both men and horses.

Hoss groaned. He could read what had happened; Joe and Adam had been taken by the mountain men and Hoss hoped to hell they were still alive. At least their bodies weren't lying on the ground and that was a good thing-the only good thing.

**Part 7**

The group of men was easy to track. They didn't travel quickly as the squaws walked alongside carrying sacks of supplies—their footprints indicated it-but Hoss was able travel faster. It was a little before dark when he thought he heard voices, men's laughter, in the distance. He dismounted and tied Chubb to a low branch. He was still quite a way from the camp but if Joe's and Adam's horses were at the camp, Chubb would whinny to them and Hoss wanted to avoid it.

As Hoss silently made his way through the trees, he began to smell coffee and biscuits and beans. He began to salivate and his stomach gurgled and complained about its emptiness. "Dadburnit," Hoss thought, "they'll be able to hear my stomach growling."

Hoss moved carefully, watching his step as he came closer to the camp; he didn't want to snap a twig or make any crunching noise when he placed each foot's weight on the ground. Then he sat as darkness fell and watched the camp.

LaPierre, Tanner, Bodie and Ross were sitting around the fire after having eaten. Tanner smoked a pipe while the rest passed around a pouch of chewing tobacco. The two women, Nagota and the other, busied themselves about the camp. Hoss didn't see Satwah. But he did see Adam and Joe. They were tied to trees, their arms around the trunk and their hands bound together on the other side. He could see Adam trying to roll his shoulders back to reach a point where he was comfortable; Hoss knew what misery a man's back and shoulders went through in that position. And Hoss also saw that Adam's jaw was purpled and swollen—he must have tried to resist. But worse than Adam, was Joe who was slumped over as if he was passed out, his head lolling. Hoss was furious at his brothers' conditions but knew he had to wait. And he was hungry. Powerful hungry. He was tempted to try to steal some food but Hoss wouldn't put his brothers in jeopardy just to placate his stomach so he just sat back and waited for the right time.

The mountain men laughed, gambled, passed around a jug and the one named Bodie took the other young squaw into the woods for about fifteen minutes. She didn't protest. "Someone needs to put some saltpeter in his food," Hoss thought as he scowled in the darkness of the trees. Finally though, the camp became quiet and the men fell asleep.

Hoss considered how he should go about rescuing Adam and Joe. He would need the horses but he also knew that they would nicker and make noise but he had to have them or there was no point. But then he considered just shooting each man as he slept but knew that would be cold-blooded murder and after all, they hadn't been the ones to stab Joe, Satwah had. Hoss sat in silence for another half hour or so until he felt that the whole camp was in a dead sleep and then he approached Adam from behind.

"Adam," he whispered. Adam's head straightened up; if he had been sleeping, it hadn't been deeply. "I'm gonna cut you loose." Adam turned his head to try to see Hoss but sat silently as the ropes around his wrists tightened and then fell away. He almost groaned as he moved his arms; his muscles ached down to the bone and his shoulders were painful but he managed to get to his feet and stepped back silently into the trees with Hoss.

"What the hell happened, Adam?"

"What happened? Where the hell you been?" Adam was moving each shoulder in a circular motion and his hands were tingling from the blood flow being restored.

"Findin' Chubb. I came back and you two were gone and the camp had the prints of lots of horses and men. I tracked you all here."

"Well, what you probably think happened, happened. Since Joe took Satwah, and they know he did, they're taking us to trade to the Shoshone for Indian women to sell later." Adam and Hoss looked back at the camp. They could see Joe still tied to the tree, his head still dropped.

"Joe in bad way?"

"Oh, yeah. Not only is that wound probably getting infected but Bodie took his anger out on Joe—I think he cracked a few of little brother's ribs."

"Your face?"

"Oh, I tried to stop it but three against one, well…I didn't stand a chance."

Adam had been helping Joe onto Cochise when the trappers had ridden into their camp, rifles out and aimed at him and Joe. Adam had put out his hands to indicate that he wasn't going to pull a gun. The trappers asked where Satwah was and Joe had immediately spat out that she was where he hoped they would never find her again.

Adam had groaned inside. Joe didn't know to just plead ignorance. There was nothing in the camp to indicate that the woman had been there except her vague moccasin prints but they were few and barely discernible since the three brothers had walked through the area and Satwah was so small and light. Nevertheless, Joe had proudly admitted his guilt.

So, with their weapons confiscated, Adam was told to mount up and they were taken away only to end up in another camp where they were given food along with the others but LaPierre and Tanner held their rifles on Joe and Adam the whole time. LaPierre had their saddlebags removed and rifled. They found a bank draft for seven thousand dollars made out to the Montana rancher for the bull. LaPierre looked at it and showed it to the other three men.

"I know my numbers," LaPierre said, "and this is a big amount. Who is it to and for what?"

Adam realized that none of the men could read. At least one thing was going in his favor because they couldn't read the name Benjamin Cartwright and the origin of the note.

"It's to buy a bull. I'm a foreman on a ranch and my brothers are hands. We were on our trip to deliver the money and bring back the bull but when we lost our supplies, well, we were returning although we probably have no jobs now to return to."

"I am sorry about this," LaPierre said to Adam, "but your brother there has stolen my property and then stupidly let her escape. I'm guessing she stabbed him." LaPierre indicted Joe who sat in a cold sweat which Adam knew indicted a fever.

"He's young and dumb and doesn't know any better. I don't suppose you would just consider the squaw a loss and let us go. My brother here, well, he fancies himself a hero…"

Joe spoke up. "Shut up, Adam. Just shut up. I knew what I was doing."

The men laughed at Joe's bravado, especially in his situation and his condition. LaPierre, still laughing handed the jug from which they had all been drinking to Adam. He tipped it up and took a swallow. Adam quickly brought it down as tears sprang to his eyes.

"Whew, that'll peel your teeth." Adam felt the heat of the liquid as it worked its way down inside him. "You mind if I use some of this to clean my brother's wound? Just a little, unless you have any sulfa powder I could use instead?"

LaPierre gave his permission telling Adam not to waste any and Adam went over to Joe and removed Joe's jacket and opened his shirt. The skin around the knife slit was red and puffy. Adam shook his head and then went to work pouring some of the corn liquor onto the bandana and reapplied it to Joe's wound. Joe cringed and gritted his teeth at the stinging pain.

"Sorry, Joe," Adam said as he pressed against the wound. "Let me have your kerchief." Adam untied the Joe's neckerchief and wet it with some more of the moonshine. "Hold this against your side." Joe held the cloth against the wound, slightly rocking, while Adam tore a strip from the length of Joe's shirt, ripping the piece that held the buttonholes. Then he wrapped it around Joe and tucked the remaining end in to hold it tight. Adam then helped Joe put his jacket back on.

"It's bad, isn't it?" Joe asked. His eyes were bright with the fever.

"Yeah, it's bad." Adam sighed and crouched beside Joe. He picked up the jug. "Take a slug of this—it'll put hair on your chest."

Joe did and then recoiled form the taste. "Shit," Joe said, "that'll put hair on the soles of my feet!"

Adam chuckled and stood to leave but Joe called his name.

"I'm sorry, Adam. I just don't know when to keep my mouth shut. "I'm sorry. Think Hoss is all right?"

"He has to be better than us. I told LaPierre that 'Eric' went ahead since you were hurt. I hope he's all right. He better be." And Adam went back to return the jug to LaPierre.

And all would have gone peacefully the rest of the night except that Bodie had made a comment about losing Satwah and how much he had enjoyed her—he liked a woman who put up a fight-and Joe called Bodie a sadistic pig. Adam had groaned because he knew what was coming. And it did. Bodie snatched up Joe and Adam had to intervene and so Adam, having failed in his attempts to pull Bodie away from Joe, was held by Ross so that Tanner could teach him to stay out of their business. Adam was punched twice in the jaw and struck in the stomach so hard that he doubled over, struggling desperately for air and almost passed out. He wished he had because he was helpless as he watched Bodie beat Joe senseless and then let him drop in the dirt. Joe had groaned and curled up and cried out to Adam but Adam had already been tied to the tree and Joe was dragged over to the neighboring tree and tied up as well. The only good thing as far as Adam was concerned, was that Joe passed out. For a time at least, he was out of pain.

**Part 8**

Hoss and Adam concurred that the best thing they could do was saddle the horses and have them ready. Adam said that he was going to go back to the tree and sit as though he were still tied. That way, if the horses made any noise and the men awoke, all would look the same. So Adam went back to his position and Hoss, trying to keep all the horses calm, led first Adam's and then Joe's horse away from the group of animals. They nickered slightly but not enough to wake anyone and the men's snoring was loud enough to cover it if they had.

Adam looked behind him for Hoss and saw his brother carrying saddles to the horses. Finally Hoss came back and stood behind Adam's tree.

"What now?" Hoss asked, breathing heavily from his exertions.

"Wait," Adam whispered back. "Let me get that rifle." He indicated the rifle that was leaning against a tree next to Lapierre. Quietly, Adam practically crawled to retrieve the rifle but just as his hand was about to reach it, he noticed that Nagota was watching him as she lay on a blanket. Adam froze. Then he raised one finger to his lips to indicate silence and she closed her eyes. Adam grabbed the rifle and scuttled backwards, bringing the rifle with him.

"Nagota saw me," Adam whispered, "but I don't think she's going to say anything. Now, about Joe. Give me the knife and I'll cut him loose—you go around and catch him when he falls forward." Hoss nodded and moved halfway around the tree, watching the sleepers and holding out his arm for Joe. Adam cut the rope and Joe fell forward into Hoss' waiting arm. Hoss moved around further and as gently as he could, hefted Joe up over his shoulder like a sack of grain. Then Adam, holding both rifles, followed, walking backwards so that he could keep an eye on the camp until they were far enough away that they could move faster and not worry about noise.

They reached the horses and Hoss let Joe down onot the ground. He took his canteen that was strapped to Chubb and poured some water into his cupped palm and wet Joe's face. Joe moaned slightly.

"Joe, Joe," Hoss said, "it's me, Hoss. Joe, can you open your eyes?" He raised his brother up slightly.

Joe, still being supported by Hoss while Adam put the rifles in his and Hoss' scabbards, opened his eyes. He looked at Hoss from under a half-closed eye, the other one still able to fully open, but his face showed the purple bruising of his beating at Bodie's hands.

"Hoss…Adam, he…where's…"

"I'm here, boy," Adam said. Joe looked around at him and feebly smiled. "Aren't you going to say it yet?"

"Not yet." Adam chuckled slightly. "Not yet, Joe."

Hoss and Adam helped Joe onto Cochise but Joe wavered in the saddle.

"He's gonna topple over, Adam. He can't ride by himself."

"Wait until I get on and then put him in front of me. We need to get to the closest town, get Joe to a doctor. You have any idea where that is 'cause I sure as hell don't."

"No," Hoss said. "All I want is away. Far, far away." Hoss lifted Joe who tried to suppress his cries of pain and Adam, with Joe now settled on the saddle in front of him, held onto his brother with one arm and held the reins in his other hand. Hoss mounted Chubb and held Cochise's reins and Adam kicked his horse forward. Joe groaned at the motion.

"It won't be long, Joe, it won't be long," Adam said in an effort to soothe Joe.

The brothers rode the rest of the night and it was slightly an hour past noon, according to the sun when they came upon a town, Nightshade. They quickly found a doctor who, upon seeing the unresponsive Joe, feared he was close to death if not dead already, but after examining him, had better news; Joe had two broken ribs, contusions and hematomas but was in surprisingly good health, all considered. Then the doctor, having noticed Adam's swollen jaw, asked Adam if he wanted to be checked. Adam declined and just asked for directions to the telegraph office and bank. So Hoss sat with Joe in the doctor's surgery while Adam went to wire his father and ask for money to be sent to the Nightshade bank in Idaho. They were only about a day and half from home and Adam needed money for a hotel room and to pay the doctor since Hoss, who had a few dollars on him wanted a meal. Adam was hungry too.

Hoss and Adam sat in a small restaurant. Adam had finished eating his steak and eggs but Hoss was on his second plate.

"I hope never to go through anything like that again," Adam said.

"Maybe iffen we don't take Joe along with us no more, we won't have to," Hoss said as he chewed.

Adam chuckled. "You know, Joe really is something else. If he would only just stop and think before he runs that mouth of his."

Hoss gave a small laugh. "He don't never have to. You and me, Adam, we always bail his ass out of trouble. That's how you got that sore jaw, right? Trying to keep Joe from gettin' the worst of it."

"You're right," Adam said, "but I can't just sit there and watch him 'get the worst of it.' I guess he'll always be the baby of the family to me. But I wish he'd learn."

"You and me, Adam, we had to learn the hard way—through experience—painful experience-and I guess Joe does too. I guess everyone has to."

"Sad but true. But what really scares me," Adam added, "is that I don't think Joe has learned much at all. I guarantee you that the next time he's in a similar situation, he'll jump right in without even thinking twice. But I guess that's what makes Joe who he is."

Hoss paused, his fork still in midair. "Yeah, I guess it is. I have to tell you though, I hope that he lives to learn that not ever' wrong can be righted." Adam just smiled and shook his head. "So what now, older brother?"

"Well," Adam said, pulling his earlobe, "I checked the stage lines and I think that in a few days, once he can take it, Joe should go home by stage. He can ride from here to Elko and then from Elko to Virginia City. I'll wire Pa to meet him. Then after he's safely off, you and I tuck tail and beat it home dragging Cooch behind us. I've had enough trouble on this trip to last me for quite a while."

"What about the bull?"

"The bank draft is in the hands of a group of illiterate mountain men who will probably use it to wipe their asses—that's about all it's worth to them. And as far as the bull, well, it'll just have to wait for another time, when it's warmer and the trappers move on to colder climates where the pelts are denser—more money for them that way. But I'm still not going to relax until we're back at the Ponderosa. Now hurry up and finish that food—I want to check on Joe."

Hoss and Adam walked from the restaurant to the doctor's, Adam still looking around him. He was relatively sure that the trappers wouldn't come looking for them in the town. Trappers, mountain men, preferred their own kind and eschewed towns and civilized settlements unless they were desperate. Towns and cities didn't accept the rough men who spat and cursed and drank too much and smelled worse than an overflowing outhouse. Usually mountain men only went to trading posts to sell their hides and buy supplies and whiskey and that was it. If a trapper didn't have woman of his own, he could find one there. But Adam still worried, no matter how sure he was that they were free of the mountain men. Hoss didn't agree with Adam's worry and ragged on him about always expecting the worst. Buy Adam said that it was better to stay vigilant and not let their guard down, just as fighting. And Hoss laughed, pointing to Adam's swollen jaw and told him to take his own advice.

The surgery was quiet when Hoss and Adam returned. "How is he?" Adam asked the doctor.

"He's comfortable and seems stabilized. Go on in and see him if you like."

Both Hoss and Adam walked into the quiet, dimly lit room and they could hear Joe breathing evenly, his eyes closed.

"Joe," Hoss said quietly, lightly touching his shoulder. Joe opened his eyes and smiled up at his two brothers.

"I guess," he said, "I should apologize to you two for getting you into this."

"And almos' gettin' yourself killed," Hoss added.

"Go ahead, Adam," Joe said. "Go ahead and say it."

"Okay," Adam said, "I told you so."

And Joe gently smiled and closed his eyes. At last he could let the laudanum dose take hold and deeply sleep knowing that his brothers would be there to watch after him as they always had been. There were many uncertain things in the world, things about which a man couldn't be sure and in which he couldn't place his faith, but his family, well, Joe knew he could count on them. About them, he could be sure.

~ Finis ~


End file.
